Ultrasound test device with improved alignment

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an ultrasound inspection device for the inspection of tubular workpieces, where the ultrasound inspection device can be coupled to the workpiece by means of a fluid medium, so that sound emitted from a transducer unit hits an insonification point on the lateral surface of the workpiece, the workpiece and the ultrasound inspection device can be moved relative to each other, and where the transducer unit is pivotable on a pivoting line which corresponds to an arc of a circle whose center is formed by the insonification point.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims priority to German Patent Application DE10 2007 039 326.3, filed Aug. 20, 2007 which is hereby expresslyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an ultrasound inspection device forinspecting tubular workpieces which can be coupled to the workpiece bymeans of a fluid. In that case, the workpiece or tube rotates about itslongitudinal axis and is inspected. Alternatively, however, ultrasoundinspection devices which themselves are moving while the workpiece ortube remains stationary are also known. For the purpose of emittingsound, ultrasound inspection device comprise so-called transducer unitswith a transmitter and, optionally, also a receiver; however, thereceiver can also be located elsewhere.

BACKGROUND

The inspection of tubular workpieces is demanding because, among otherthings, a sufficient and interference-free coupling of the ultrasoundinspection device is rather difficult. Moreover, the intensity of thereceived signals is very much dependent upon the surface geometry, whichis the reason why a test probe is actually proposed in DE 27 40 106which determines the alignment of two other, outer test probes inaccordance with the surface geometry of the workpiece to be inspected,by means of a sound attenuation measurement. This device and theunderlying method are complex and cost-intensive.

An inspection device for non-destructive inspection is known from DE 2751 810, in which a total of six test probes, the sound beams of whichintersect in a single point, are arranged in an inspecting spider. Thesound-transmitting coupling is carried out by supplying water into theplane of contact. It is a drawback of this arrangement that the couplingmedium is supplied in an uncontrolled manner; the effort for monitoringthe coupling is thus very high. However, it is also a particulardrawback that the adaptation to different tube diameters, and also theadjustment of the insonification angle, is laborious.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The disclosure provides an ultrasound inspection device with which aninspection of tubular workpieces is possible that is as quick and exactas possible. In this case, the ultrasound inspection device is supposedto be as simple as possible with regard to construction and operation,and should be capable of being used for different inspection techniques.In particular, maintaining an insonification angle that is as constantas possible is supposed to be easily manageable by the user.

Accordingly, in the ultrasound inspection device according to theinvention, the transducer unit can be pivoted exactly about theinsonification point on the lateral surface. It is thus achieved thatthe insonification point on the lateral surface is maintained exactly,even if the transducer unit is pivoted, because the pivoting linecorresponds exactly to the arc of a circle whose center is formed by theinsonification point on the lateral surface.

The ultrasound inspection device comprises a cluster housing whichterminates with a diameter-adapted wear sole on the outer lateralsurface of the workpiece, that is, on the tube surface. A chamber foraccommodating the coupling medium, preferably water, is thus formed. Thechamber is not filled from the top towards the bottom, as is known inthe prior art, but rather a filling process is provided which startsfrom the outer lateral surface of the workpiece. Thus, the fluid issupplied to the chamber close to the outer lateral surface and thenrises in the cluster housing. The result of this advantageous supply isthat air bubbles that possibly occur rise with the fluid, and are thusdischarged significantly faster and without turbulence. This, precisely,is not the case in inspection devices according to the prior art;usually, the fluid flows from above in the opposite direction to therising air bubbles.

Corresponding fluid inlet openings can be constructionally configuredsuch that the fluid jet is guided through at least one channelperpendicularly onto the tube surface. Starting from the tube surface,the chamber is then evenly flooded in a bubble-free manner from thebottom towards the top, based on the length of the test probe line.

At least one fluid outlet channel serves for venting and draining thechamber and preferably opens laterally of or above the transducer unit,in particular above the test probes on a fluid outlet opening. Aformation of air bubbles in front of the transducer unit, that is,between the workpiece and the test probes, can thus be avoided by meansof fluid engineering. The number of the fluid outlet channels and fluidoutlet openings can be individually adapted to the length of the testprobe lines or the number of the individual test probes.

According to the invention, the cluster housing can be designed for aconventional or for phased array technique. A large chamber is alsosuitable, in particular, for a phased array inspection technique withthe so-called paintbrush method within the cluster housing.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the cluster housing isdivided into a contact body and a transducer unit housing. The contactbody adjoins the wear sole, the transducer unit housing contains theoscillating body and is mounted pivotably relative to the contact body.The chamber extends through the contact body into the transducer unithousing. The pivoting line of the transducer unit, in this preferredexemplary embodiment, is formed by the outer contour of the contactbody.

Using spacers, an increase in height of the cluster housing and thus, agreater distance of the transducer unit from the lateral surface of theworkpiece can be realized. The transducer unit housing is subdivided forthis purpose.

Thus, the contact body has a convex curvature in the direction of thetransducer unit housing. On its underside, that is, the side which comesinto contact with the contact body, the transducer unit housing isintroduced with a correspondingly concave curvature.

In order for the inspection setting to be reproducible, theinsonification angle can be mechanically fixated in different angularpositions, that is, the transducer unit housing can be fixed relative tothe contact body.

It has proved to be advantageous if not only a single fluid inletopening is provided, but if the fluid is introduced into the chamberevenly through several openings.

The wear sole with the concave curvature is configured to bereplaceable, so that the inspection device can be adapted to differentdiameters.

The invention is explained further with reference to the followingfigures. The exemplary embodiment described therein should be understoodmerely to be an example, and is not supposed to limit the scope of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an ultrasound inspection device according to the inventionin a frontal view,

FIG. 2 shows the ultrasound inspection device from FIG. 1 in a lateralview,

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the adjustment of the angle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an ultrasound inspection device 20 according to theinvention. It has a wear sole 22, which, depending on the diameter of aworkpiece 24 to be inspected, has a concave curvature which adjoins theworkpiece 24 to be inspected. The wear sole 22 is replaceable, thus, thedegree of curvature can be adapted to different tube diameters or outerlateral surfaces 25.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the wear sole 22 is disposed on acontact body 26 which in turn is adjoined by a transducer unit housing28. A transducer unit 30 comprising the required transmitter andreceiver modules is shown within the transducer unit housing 28. Thesound hits an insonification point at an angle α, which is, for example,19°. The transducer unit housing 28 is configured to be pivotablerelative to the contact body 26. For this purpose, in the exemplaryembodiment shown, the contact body 26 is configured to be convex on itsside facing towards the transducer unit housing 28, whereas thetransducer unit housing 28 has a concave curvature correspondingthereto.

The concave and convex curvatures, respectively, of the contact body 26and of the transducer unit housing 28 are configured such that thepivoting line S-S resulting therefrom corresponds to an arc of a circle,the center of which is formed by the insonification point 32 which lieson the lateral surface 25 of the workpiece 24. In the exemplaryembodiment shown, the transducer unit housing 28 stands vertically onthe contact body 26; however, it can be pivoted both to the right aswell as to the left. The definition of the pivoting line S-S as an arcof a circle of the insonification point 32 has the effect that the soundalways exactly hits the insonification point 32 at the same angle α,irrespective of the degree of pivoting (also see FIG. 3).

The contact body 26 and the transducer unit housing 28 form a clusterhousing 34 in which a chamber 36 is located. The chamber 36 adjoins theworkpiece 24 or is opened in the direction of the workpiece 24 to beable to effect a coupling by means of a fluid.

The chamber 36 can be filled through a fluid inlet channel 38, which,with a fluid inlet opening 40, opens into the chamber 36. The fluidinlet channel 38 is in this case preferably configured such that thefluid is directed as perpendicularly as possible onto the outer lateralsurface 25 of the workpiece 24. FIG. 1 illustrates that several fluidinlet channels 38, five in the exemplary embodiment shown, can also beprovided. The chamber 36 is flooded via the fluid inlet channels 38,starting from the lateral surface 25 of the workpiece 24; the fluidrises upwards in the chamber 36 and is conducted into fluid outletchannels 42. The fluid outlet channels 42 open into fluid outletopenings 44, which discharge the fluid from the cluster housing 34 andfrom the ultrasound inspection device 20, respectively. In the exemplaryembodiment, chimney-shaped fluid outlet channel ends 46 are providedwhich convey the fluid away from the transducer unit 30 and out abovetest probes which are not shown. The fluid outlet channel ends 46 aredisposed on the outside of the cluster housing 34 and protrudetherefrom. The number and paths of the fluid outlet channels 42 and ofthe fluid outlet channel ends 46 can be chosen freely, depending on therequirements and the constructional conditions.

Spacers which can be inserted into a divisible cluster housing 34 arenot shown. In FIG. 2, in particular, it can be seen that the transducerunit housing 28 is divided into a fitted housing part 48, which fitsonto the contact body 26, and an upper housing portion 50 adjoiningthereto. These two housing portions 48, 50 are in contact along aparting line x-x. Spacers or elements can, for example, be insertedbetween the fitted housing portion 48 and the upper housing portion 50,whereby the distance of the transducer unit 30 to the workpiece 24 andto the insonification point 32, respectively, can be varied.

FIG. 3 illustrates the geometric interrelations of the angle adjustmentaccording to the invention of the ultrasound inspection device 20. Whatis shown are outer lateral surfaces 25 of two workpieces 24 withdifferent diameters. The desired insonification point 32 lies on thesetwo outer lateral surfaces 25. Moreover, a test probe 52 is shown inthree different positions. Furthermore, the pivoting line S-S, on whichthe test probe 52 can be pivoted, is drawn in. The center belonging tothe pivoting line S-S is the insonification point 32. In every positionon the pivoting line S-S, the test probe 52 thus has the same distanceand the same angle to the insonification point 32, whereby theinspection of workpieces 24 of different diameters can be carried outquickly and easily while maintaining the desired adjustment angles.

The ultrasound inspection device 20 according to the invention issuitable for realizing various inspection techniques, for example,angled insonification; in addition, the insonification angle is alwaysmaintained when different spacers are being used.

The invention claimed is:
 1. Ultrasound inspection device for theinspection of tubular workpieces, the ultrasound inspection devicecomprising: a cluster housing divided into a transducer unit housing anda contact body, the contact body adjoining a wear sole configured toplace on the outer lateral surface of the workpiece, and the transducerunit housing having a transducer unit and is pivotable relative to thecontact body, wherein the ultrasound inspection device is configured tocouple to the workpiece by means of a fluid medium, so that soundemitted from the transducer unit hits an insonification point on alateral surface of the workpiece, the workpiece and the ultrasoundinspection device configured to move relative to each other, thetransducer unit is pivotable on a pivoting line, which corresponds to anarc of a circle whose center is formed by the insonification point,wherein the transducer unit is configured to fixate in an positionrelative to the insonification point, and the wear sole is configuredsuch that a chamber forms between the workpiece and the transducer unit,and that at least one fluid inlet channel, which, with a fluid inletopening, opens into the chamber, and at least one fluid outlet channelfor venting and draining the chamber, which opens into the chamber, areprovided, wherein the mouth of the fluid outlet channel and the fluidoutlet channel are configured and disposed such that a filling processof the chamber and of the fluid outlet channel are configured to carryout starting on an outer lateral surface of the workpiece, and then in arising manner.
 2. Ultrasound inspection device according to claim 1,wherein the fluid inlet channel and the fluid inlet opening areconfigured and disposed such that the fluid is conducted perpendicularlyonto the outer lateral surface of the workpiece.
 3. Ultrasoundinspection device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid outlet channelcomprises a fluid outlet opening which, relative to the lateral surface,is disposed above a test probe of the transducer unit.
 4. Ultrasoundinspection device according to claim 3, wherein the fluid outlet channelcomprises a fluid outlet channel end protruding from cluster housing. 5.Ultrasound inspection device according to claim 1, wherein several fluidinlet channels are provided.
 6. Ultrasound inspection device accordingto claim 1, wherein several fluid outlet channels are provided. 7.Ultrasound inspection device according to claim 1, wherein a distance ofthe transducer unit from the insonification point is configured tochange by means of spacers configured to insert into the clusterhousing.
 8. Ultrasound inspection device according to claim 1, whereinthe transducer unit comprises several test probes.
 9. Ultrasoundinspection device according to claim 8, wherein the chamber hasdimensions which permits a phased array inspection technique.